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Earlier this year, we lost a great Colombian citizen, Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez. “Gabo”, as he was affectionately known, was a novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, he was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. On his death in April 2014, Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia, described him as “the greatest Colombian who ever lived”. – wikipedia

Clean, modern looking residential elevator.

Cab interior showing car operating panel and glass walls

Unfortunately, Mr. Márquez never had the opportunity to use the brand-new Garaventa Home Elevator installed at his residence in Cartagena. This project was completed after his passing.

The elevator features an aluminum and glass cab with full vision panels in the cab gates and full glass entrance doors. This clean, modern look is becoming more and more popular, and this installation has been named the Garaventa Lift Installation of the Month for August, 2014. Congratulations to the team at Mitsubishi Electric de Colombia (Melco de Colombia)!

Chicago, Ill. – June 25, 2014 – In an effort to increase safety and reduce preventable injury, leaders from the home elevator industry today launched a new public education campaign, homeSAFE (Safety Awareness For Elevators), to help raise awareness about the safe installation, operation and maintenance of home elevators. The Campaign is supported by the Association of Members of the Accessibility Equipment Industry (AEMA), National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC), National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities International (NAESA International) and ThyssenKrupp Access Corp.

“Safety remains an industry-wide concern in the home elevator industry,” said John Sweeney, president of NAEC. “The homeSAFE Campaign fills a critical gap by uniting key leaders in the home elevator industry to take action and raise awareness with homeowners of the complexity and importance of safe home elevator installation, operation and maintenance.”

The home elevator market in the U.S. has grown significantly in the past decade, driven by an aging population and a lower cost of installation. Despite the rise in home elevator use, little information is available to help educate homeowners about how to safely install and maintain home elevators. The homeSAFE Campaign is designed to fill that void and make home elevator owners aware of critical safety criteria when installing or operating a home elevator. This includes home elevator installation standards, inspection requirements, regular maintenance, and safety precautions — especially important when children may have access to a home elevator.

“The homeSAFE Campaign provides homeowners with the first industry-wide, comprehensive resource of home elevator safety information,” continued Sweeney. “Until now, much of this information was either scattered on various websites or not documented. Having information in one place helps homeowners easily find basic information about home elevator safety and smart practices. Simply, this allows them to assume greater control over their safety.”

The Campaign website, www.homesafecampaign.com, provides current and potential home elevator owners clear, easy-to-understand guides and tools to explain how home elevators operate and should be maintained. The web site includes safety tips and evaluation checklists, interactive diagrams and infographics, answers to frequently asked questions as well as resources for working with home elevator industry professionals such as home elevator dealers, inspectors and mechanics. The site also features downloadable information packets homeowners can share with family, friends and others in their communities.

“Homeowners should feel confident in the safety of their home elevators. Our goals are to raise awareness with homeowners as well as begin a dialogue around home elevator safety readiness with industry leaders,” said Jurrien van den Akker, president of ThyssenKrupp Access Corp. “A number of people and organizations support the many facets of home elevators – design, purchasing, installation, inspection and maintenance. We hope to provide a platform where experts can share their resources and help educate homeowners.”

The current homeSAFE Campaign partners reflect organizations supporting the home elevator production, inspection, sales and installation process. The homeSAFE Campaign partners include:
 Association of Members of the Accessibility Equipment Industry (AEMA), a non-profit organization formed in 1990 to meet the needs of the accessibility equipment manufacturers, distributors and end users
 National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC), an association of elevator contractors, suppliers of products and services and other industry professionals. Celebrating 65 years of service, the Association serves the interests of the industry by promoting safety in the elevator industry advocating excellence in the management of member companies.
 National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities International (NAESA International), a non-profit organization with nearly 2,500 members comprised of elevator inspectors, mechanics, consultants, contractors, architects, engineers, elevator manufacturers and others interested in elevator safety, code enforcement and technology.

The homeSAFE (Safety Awareness For Elevators) Campaign is an industry-led initiative designed to increase home elevator awareness. The Campaign objectives include raising homeowner awareness about the safe use, installation and maintenance of home elevators; educating all industry groups responsible for home elevator installation and maintenance about the safety risks associated with faulty installation; and creating an easy-to-use, easy-to-find repository of home elevator safety education resources. To become a partner or get involved with the homeSAFE Campaign, visit the Campaign website, www.homesafecampaign.com.

On June 11, 2014 The Reliable Living Centre in downtown Toronto had their Grand Opening. The facility showcases products to enhance any building and make it barrier-free. The showroom features a vertical platform lift, and inclined platform lift and a LU/LA elevator with a glass enclosure. All of these products were provided by Garaventa Lift. The Elvoron LU/LA with the Glass Enclosure has been selected as the Garaventa Lift Project of the Month for June, 2014.

The installation really pops. It features a two-tone custom RAL color scheme with bright white aluminum enclosure framing and sliding doors offset by deep orange fascia around the doors.

Further information regarding The Reliable Living Centre can be obtained from their website, www.reliableliving.com

Congratulations to Garaventa Lift Ontario and to The Reliable Living Centre!